PUBLISHED 2019 Amazon
Revised 2023 Kinnebrew Studios
Human Beings, being
A Treatise on Conscious Awareness
Revised 2021
224 pages
Note: copies ordered from Kinnebrew Studios are signed by the author.
This book is currently only available from Kinnebrew Studios
$18.00 Click to purchase
link to return to books main page
Among many of Joseph Kinnebrew’s attributes is his relentless thought process that exists outside of the proverbial box. In fact, one such box, with a single scrap of paper, is used in this book to launch his depiction of intention and consciousness. Provocative questions are posed from the perspective of this certified creative genius and autodidactic polymath. What does it mean to be biologically and psychologically conscious? What might expanded-consciousness be like? Does intention cease at death? In the absence of cognitive and behavioral inhibitions, how differently might reality appear?
Where were you before you were born? Does intention cease at death?
Dr. Steven T. Case, Steven T. Case, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry, Retired Associate Dean for Medical School Admissions
__________________________________________
Note: copies ordered from Kinnebrew Studios are signed by the author.
REVIEWS:
How Joseph Kinnebrew and I met is a story in itself; but, what is pertinent for the reader to know is that zany circumstances ultimately led to an intimate friendship in spite of us coming opposite corners of the country (northwest and southeast, respectfully) and favoring opposite hemispheres of our brains (JK is creative “righty” while I’m a scientific “lefty”). Among many of JK’s attributes is his relentless thought process that exists outside of the proverbial box. In fact, one such box, with a single scrap of paper, is used in this book to launch his depiction of intention and consciousness. Provocative questions are posed from the perspective of this certified creative genius and autodidactic polymath. What does it mean to be biologically and psychologically conscious? What might expanded-consciousness be like? Does intention cease at death? In the absence of cognitive and behavioral inhibitions, how differently might reality appear? Where were you before you were born? Can the mind exist outside itself? If and when you are no longer human, who, what and where are you? When does consciousness end consciously and subconsciously and, at the end, is awareness still part of the picture?
As indicated in the text, JK and I have, in the past, and are scheduled to continue to debate issues raised in this book; however, for me, two points are indisputable. First, conscious
awareness is the gift that only you can give yourself. Second, if you allow yourself to become momentarily disinhibited and view these musings from the inside out, you will embark on a unique and imaginary journey that will be worth the fare, whether or not one ultimately accepts that 12 divided by 3 is 132 and perfect fried eggs can fly through the air with their whites a ‘flapping!
Steven T. Case
Oxford, Mississippi
October 2018
______________________________________________
Why this book?
A long time ago and soon after in Sunday school, I began to doubt… doubt and the existence of “a god.” I wandered off the reservation…it was no accident. “How could you have something when you had nothing?” That question (along with accumulated others) has plagued me most of my life. Years later, in his books I would meet Michael S. A. Graziano, referencing him directly and indirectly in several of my writings. He is a professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Princeton University and we have yet to meet personally. His scientific research focuses on the brain basis of awareness. Someday perhaps, we shall converse face to face, aware and share our mutual interests for the benefit of only ourselves since there are few others who seek our common interests.
Awareness is key to human existence and finally giving into curiosity, it became my intention to know more. Can it be that
without purpose we have nothing? I am first a fine artist, and we like to debate such things ad nauseum.
No big deal to you, I understand this, and thus you may immediately put this book back on the shelf unattended and unintended but before you do maybe you’ll hear me out just a bit. Do accidents just happen? Some say they are God’s will, others say “shit happens,” and still others say everybody lies. Are they all the result of or connected by intention and if so how or whose?
If you understood yourself and intention, might it improve your life and that of others? History has recorded prejudices forever and at the root(s) of it all is/are their “intention(s).” This is presumed a conscious act of will. In the 1980’s the American physiologist, Benjamin Libet claimed to demonstrate that we have no free will.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/out-the-darkness/201709/benjamin-libet-and-the-denial-free-will
Is it then evident that our former free will was or is somebody’s intention?
In my family, there are players who, by most people’s measure, are mean-spirited. For me to understand them I ask is this their real or final intention? More importantly, and like most people, do they even think about their (not my) intentions? Are they to be forgiven for without free will we/they are left with the devil made them do it? I wonder what our world would be like if we asked such questions more often? Might a better understanding of free will improve my life and those I come in contact with? At least I feel free to ask.
Preface
There is little that is authentically original. I maintain everything is predictable and have elsewhere written about this in some detail. If or when we are wrong in our predictions, I suggest it is the result of poor data and in a time of “Big Data” this is only going to become more a problem of scope, accuracy, and outcome. Essentially everything that is needed to create and operate a cosmos is already out there and in here, or at least this is the premise and route I have chosen to believe. What varies is how “it” is put together or “aggregated” and hence discussions of creativity human and otherwise.
Tools of the cosmic drama remain mostly hidden; but, slowly we are discovering how to discover and fill our basket with human tricks and traps. There are many theories, many investigators (some well-known, some not) and plenty of cranks. Descartes and Locke, having expended heroic energy trying to define the nature of consciousness, remain two of the all-stars.
Explanations of consciousness, the darling of woo-woo to metaphysics and on to formal science, has become cause célèbre in the physical and social sciences. Still, the great gob of understanding eludes us and is likely to become more complicated as we attempt to duplicate then replicate the human brain in part but of course eventually “in all.” Even amateurs can join in, and they do. Religion has tried with its mandates, explanations, and rule-making but the atheists remain and are actually growing in number worldwide. What it means biologically and psychologically to be conscious has tantalizing suppositions with new and increasing vocabulary. The evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is misnamed for there is nothing “artificial” about it, other than a preposterous arrogance on the part of the namers and their subscribers. Shame, shame.
We have more sophisticated tests for consciousness, but one of the oldest still holds true: can the subject feel and react to physical pain? Are we more conscious today? The reviews are mixed. While many like to fret saying everything is much more complicated in these times of advancing technology, I suggest it is instead relative since we have more ways to cope… and if you can’t find this perfectly logical, then we have a problem here. For some, this is a reach of concept, but for others perfectly obvious; technology has always been advancing.
In 1690, John Locke published his Essay Concerning Human Understanding.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Essay_Concerning_Human_Understanding
He defined consciousness as “the perception of what passes in a man’s own mind.”
His essay remains a cornerstone in the discussion of human consciousness and has affected many aspects of organized western society, for it indeed calls into question the legitimacy of “My mother made me do it.”
We remain unsatisfied with Locke’s explanation of consciousness. Previously unknown philosophers, like David Chalmers, said it was because humans aren’t up to the task.
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jan/21/-sp-why-cant-worlds-greatest-minds-solve-mystery-consciousness
This, of course, applies to other as yet unexplained questions like what happened before the Big Bang. Some in the business of astrophysics refer to the inexplicable explanation as “The Hard Problem” or the topic nobody really wants to discuss. (As per science’s cherished concept of the authenticating observer I wonder if there really was a “bang.”)
What follows are not explanations but musings, a loaded word to define or suggest “thoughts.” Not amateur thoughts but not entirely professional ones either, since it is my contention that both categories apply and matter. Consciousness remains an “it,” just like other abstracts in our life we don’t like to identify or think about. Then why me… because to proceed, artists (I am one) think about things like this as they reach for inspiration. It is their qualia. Cartesian dualism fell to the sword of secular scientific “physicalism,” an idea that only real tangible “stuff” was to be believed. And then along came Post-Modernism reminding us of perpetual shortcomings and our inability to ever get it right. The well-known Dr. Francis Crick (of DNA fame) pushed it further saying we ought to pay more attention to this topic because it had to do with neurons.
Imminently predictable, we are making progress. Humans are good learners and our capacity to expand knowledge seems limitless, albeit presently confined to our slowly evolving onboard brain burning neurons for fuel. This said, even without a complete explanation when looking to technology and the probability of brain augmentation, even larger possibilities and intelligence partnerships are possible. Trying to imagine what expanded consciousness might be like is about as zany as it gets, and some of us self-entertainers are having a field day.
Try this on for size. With built-in radar, bats fly at night and so can you. In the animal kingdom, moths have the best hearing in the world. Someday you can too, and so it goes, but these exceptional capabilities must be connected to you being conscious. The common denominator for us is our consciousness and while the definition of it isn’t something we have or understand completely; the riddle’s answer may be in our coming to terms with the “it.” To do this may require we generate a different form or refigure intelligence and not demean it or them as “artificial.” To do this, we need to think, write, talk and play with “The Hard Problem” of the Big Bang and its related family(s).
Use these links to view individual books
Fiction
little boys, big dreams & the hobo wars
_______________________
Nonfiction
________________________
Art Books